Mixer



April 3, 1956 w. w. WALDEN 2,740,616

MIXER Filed Nov. 3, 1952 1y INVENTOR.

I Tlie Vl a lden M @yzzzi ATTORNEY United States Patent MIXER Willie W. Walden, Hugo, Okla.

Application November 3, 1952, Serial No. 318,349

6 Claims. (Cl. 259-4) This invention relates to mixing apparatus, andin particular to an orifice-type fluid mixer.

The apparatus herein disclosed is primarily intended for use in mixing or intermingling materials into a continuously flowing fluid. The apparatus is thus suitable for use where large quantities of fluid are handled. Such apparatus must be designed so that there is a thorough inter-mingling or mixing of materials as a stream of fluid is directed through the mixing apparatus. A continuous flow of fluid is often essential to the carrying on of many processes or the supplying of such fluid to consumers. With such processes it is not feasible to mix the fluid and other materials in batches. Thus vats or similar mixing arrangements cannot be employed. It is, of course, desirable to have as thorough a mixing as is possible in order to obtain a uniform fluid mixture. The improved mixing apparatus disclosed herein may be advantageously used in operations such as petroleum refining. Often it is necessary to mix small quantities of various materials, such as sulphuric acid, water, alkali, etc. with oil in refinery methods. I

It is accordingly an object of this invention to provide a mixing apparatus in which adequate thorough mixing of materials with a moving fluid is possible. Mixing apparatus intended for such use should be simply constructed yet should be adequate to the requirements.

Therefore, a further object of this invention is to provide a mixing apparatus which is simply constructed and which can be readily and cheaply produced and installed.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a mixing apparatus which can be easily cleaned. The apparatus is so constructed that cleaning fluids can be readily passed therethrough. Also, as will appear hereinafter, the apparatus can be constructed of separable elements so that the mixing elements may be removed and cleaned separately.

These and other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through a preferred form of a mixing device constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken along line 44 of Fig. 1.

Similar reference characters represent similar parts in the several figures.

Referring now to the drawings: the mixer comprises an outer shell or housing which may be formed in two sections 11 and 12. Sections 11 and 12 are generally cylindrical in shape and are joined by an encircling band 13 which is connected to sections 11, 12, as by welds 14. It is understood that the outer cylindrical casing 10 may be formed of an additional number of sections connected ice by bands, such as 13, or of a single section. Also, the sections may be connected by bolts and flanges. End caps 15 and 16 are provided with flanges 17 which may be welded to their respective adjoining sections or secured thereto by bolts or similar means. The end caps are provided with threads such as 18 and 19 for connection with outlet and inlet pipes, respectively. Flange-type connections may be used, if desired.

Partition plates 20, 22, 24 and 26 extend laterally across the shell 10 and are secured thereto in any convenient manner. Each of the partition plates is provided with a central opening. The central openings of the flanges are alined longitudinally of the mixer. A mixing unit 28 is mounted within the alined openings of the partition plates and connected to each of the plates by welding or other suitable means. The mixing unit is composed of separate units or sections 30, 32, 34 and 36. Each of the latter units comprises a generally cylindrical member open at both of its ends. Additional or second partition members 38, 40, and 42 are mounted intermediate the mixing units. The partition plates may be connected to the mixing units by means such as welding. Both the partition' plates 38, 40 and 42 and the partition members 20, 22, 24 and 26 are impervious to fluid flow. Units 32 and 34, respectively, project upwardly and downwardly on opposite sides of partitions 22 and 24. Mixing unit 30 has formed therein a series of slotted openings 44, which provide fluid passageways extending from the interior to the exterior of the mixing unit.

Mixing unit 32 has three series of passageways. Upper series 46 is in the form of vertical slots 48. Slots 48 extend angularly through the mixing unit shell so as to form passageways slanted outwardly to the left as viewed in Fig. 2. The passageways thus extend angularly with respect to lines at right angles with the longitudinal axis of the units.

The second series of openings 50 comprises vertically extended passageways 52. Passageways 52 slant outwardly to the right, as viewed in Fig. 3.

The third series of openings 54 comprises passageways 56 which are vertically extending and extend radially outwardly through mixing unit 32.

Mixing unit 34 likewise has three series of openings for fluid flow. The upper series of openings 58 comprises openings constructed similarly to openings 48 of series 46. The intermediate series of openings 60 comprises openings constructed similarly to openings 52 of the series of openings 50. The lower group of openings 62 comprises openings constructed similarly to openings 57. The intake passageways for unit 32 lie below partition 22, whereas the outlet passageways lie above partition 22. Likewise the inlet passageways of unit 34 lie below partition 24 and the outlet passageways lie above.

The lower mixing unit 36 has upper openings 64 which are similar to openings 48 and lower openings 66 which are similar to openings 52.

Fluid enters the mixing unit through cover 16. The material to be mixed therein may be introduced within cover 16 by any suitable means or may be introduced into the fluid stream prior to the entrance thereof into the mixing device. The fluid is directed inwardly of mixing unit 36 and can move outwardly through the series of openings 64 and 66. In moving outwardly the fluid is given a spiralling motion. The spiralling motion contributes to the adequate mixing of the fluid and the introduced material.

The torque resulting from the reaction of the fluid against the passageway walls is balanced, due to the fact that outlets 64 are directed in an opposite direction from outlets 66. There is thus no tendency for the mixing unit or mixer to twist. After leaving mixing unit 36 the fluid then flows through chamber 68 and into mixing gra ers 6 unit 34 through openings 62. T he fluid flows outwardly of the unit 34; through the passageways 50 and 60 into chamber '76. From chamber 70 fluid flows inwardly of mixing unit 32 through openings 54 and outwardly of mixing unit 32 through passa eways 43 and 52. From unit 32 fluid flows into chamber '72 and inwardly of mixing unit 36 through openings 44 from whence the fluid flows outwardly of the mixer.

The spiralling motion given to the fluid results from thevslanted or angularly disposed passageways such as 48 and 52. Where the wall sections of the units are not sufiiciently thick to provide a desired fluid motion, flanges or plates can be fastened adjacent the passageways and angled with respect thereto to insure a desired swirling action. Theslanted passageways slant radially outwardly of the longitudinal axis of the mixing units. 1

From the foregoingdescription it is apparent that the mixing device herein disclosed will thoroughly intermingle a fluid with a material introduced therein. The swirling motion imparted to the fluid contributes greatly to the efiiciency of the mixer.

While I have shown and described a preferred form of my invention, it will be understood that variations in details of form may be made without departure from the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A mixer comprising an outer cylindrical housing, end covers connected to said housing, spaced partitions extending laterally of said housing and connected thereto, said partitions having longitudinally, alined openings, mixing unitssupported in the openings of said partitions and 'forrning'chambers with said housing and partitions, a series of second partition members interconnecting said units, one of said covers having an inlet opening and the other an outlet opening, passageways provided in said units laterally of said housing and communicating with said chambers, some of said passageways comprising openings angularly disposed with respect to lines at right angles to the longitudinal axis of said units.

2. A mixer comprising a housing, a generally cylin- 'dri'cal mixing member disposed in and spaced f-rom said housing and having a central bore, the walls of said member having two adjacent annular sets of fluid passages extending from the exterior thereof to said bore, the passage of oneset being slanted in similar circumferential directions to make acute angles with planes extending radially outward from the bore, and the passage of the :other set being oppositely slanted to make other acute angles with said planes; a closure for one end of the mixing member, the other vend of the member being open; means closing the space between the edges of the open end of 'saidmixin'g member and the adjoining portion of the housing, said sets of oppositelyeslanted pas- .sages imparting :opposite rotary swirls to fluid passing through them, thereby to effect a mixing of the fluid; an annulus secured at one end tothe closed end of the mixing member, said annulus having fluid passages extending between its inner and outer walls, said housing extending around said annulus; and means closing the space between the other end of the annulus and the adjoining portions of the housing.

3. The invention as defined in claim 2 in which the fluid passages in the annulus extend radially thereof.

4. A mixer comprising a housing; a generally cylindrical mixing member disposed in and spaced from said housing and having a central bore, the walls of said member having two adjacent annular sets of fluid passages extending from the exterior thereof to said bore, the passage of one set being slanted in similar circumferential directions to make acute angles with planes extending radially outward from the bore, and the passage of the other set extending in directions different from the first set; a closure for one end of the mixing member, the other end of the member being open; and means closing the space between the edges of the open end of said mixing member and the adjoining portion of the housing, saidsets of diflerently extending passages directing fluid passing through them in different directions,-thereby to effect a mixing of the fluid.

'5. A mixer comprising a housing; a plurality of elongate tubular mixing units supported end-to-end within said housing and in spaced relation thereto; partition plates interconnecting said housing and said units and forming chambers therewith, said plates engaging the units-intermediate their ends; a partition disposed between said mixing units to prevent the passage of fluid internally therebet-ween, the walls of said units having passages extending from the interiors thereof to said chambers, some of said passages being disposed on like sides of the partition plates and extending radially of the units and other passages being disposed on the remaining sides of the partition plates, being slanted and making acute angles with radial planes of the units.

6. The invention as defined in claim 5 in which the other passages are-divided into two adjacent annular sets, the passage of one set slanting in directions opposite to those of the other set.

References :Cited in thefile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 430,242 Way June 17, 1890 709,880 -wra o May 27, 1902 1,622,692 Wendling Mar. 29, '1927 1,676,237 Baker, July 10, '1928 1,970,783 Walker Aug. 21, 1934 2,085,132 Underwood June 29, 1937 2,642,147 'Dearing "June 16,1953 

